


Surprised by a Kiss

by Kitsune_Moonstar



Category: Bleach
Genre: 30 Kisses Challenge, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 11,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty stories for Kisuke and Yoruichi for the thirty kisses challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chasing Butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list zeta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 3: Tangent.

**Chasing Butterflies**

He was waiting for her as usual. Yoruichi grinned when she spotted Kisuke under the tree. She had slipped her minders once again and snuck out to the Rukongai again. Her friend was already there when she arrived at their meeting place.

It had become something of a habit for them to meet at least once a week. Then ten year old was pretty sure she would go insane without these meetings. Running around with a boy from the Rukongai was not appropriate behavior for the Shihoin heir. That was probably one of the reasons that Yoruichi liked it so much. Here she didn't have to worry about proper etiquette or remembering lessons that weren't that useful. She learned far more out here than she ever had from her tutors.

Kisuke grinned at her, and the two of them took off. Yoruichi felt something in her loosen and relax. Kisuke was her freedom. He was the one person who she could just be Yoruichi with. He didn't care about her family background or proper behavior or even the fact that she was faster than he was. And that was fine because she didn't care about the fact that Kisuke was far too curious for his own good or his tendency to go off on tangents. She didn't care about his incessant needed to tinker with things. All that mattered to her was the fact that he was Kisuke.

Yoruichi shot him a mischievous look, and the game of the day was set. She laughed and kissed his nose before dashing down the street.

"Tag. You're it," she called over her shoulder.

Kisuke just grinned and gave chase. Yoruichi lost herself in the fun of the chase, and the speed, and the wind in her hair, and her friendship. This was what childhood was supposed to be.


	2. And the Rain Falls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 29: Ode.

**And the Rain Falls**

It was raining. But then, that was fairly typically for an afternoon in the month of June. It was not a month for outdoor cats. However, there were some time things about the rain. Kisuke smiled as he watched the downpour. He was safely dry tucked under the roof of the porch. He sat cross legged leaning back against the building. There was no sound beside the rain and Yoruichi's purring.

She was curled up in his lap, purring while he scritched at her ears. Neither of them had any duties or obligations at the moment, and they were both taking the opportunity to just sit and be. It was extremely comfortable and comforting. The rain closed them in like a curtain, trapping them in a world of their own. Not that either of them minded. Moments of peace like this were few and far between, and they knew to enjoy them while they had the chance.

If he were a more literary inclined person, Kisuke would have composed an ode to rainy days. They were simple and soothing, and they were shared with Yoruichi. He dropped a kiss on her furry head. He loved these quiet little moments together. These were the days he liked to remember. Just the two of them and the rain. This was a world of their own. The rain continued to pour, and Yoruichi continued to purr.


	3. Knowing One's Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 4: Pecking Order.

**Knowing One's Place**

There were both written and unwritten rules at the academy. It was the unwritten rules that could make or break you. Everyone had their place, their role, and stepping out of it was not done. Of course, given that his particular role suited him just fine, Kisuke didn't really mind. He was the local genius. He was supposed to be brilliant, unpredictable, cause trouble, and that suited Kisuke just fine. Probably the one part of those unwritten rules that he broke was the one about who he associated himself with. Geniuses after all were supposed to hang out with the nerds and geeks, and they weren't supposed to be that socially adept. Kisuke's closet friend and the person he spent the most time with was Yoruichi.

And just as Kisuke was known, so was Yoruichi. She literally was a princess even if Kisuke was the only one allowed to call her that, and everyone knew she was being groomed for a captaincy and would probably be promoted as soon as she graduated. Yoruichi was from one of the four major noble families after all. Even if she seldom obeyed the rules that governed how she was supposed to act. But then again, she was the princess and she could get away with that for the most part. She really was too high in the pecking order for someone to make an issue of her conduct. But it did confuse people.

It was probably a good thing that they only had two classes together. It was definitely a lucky thing for most of their teachers. It wasn't that Yoruichi or Kisuke were bad students. They were just easily bored with the class work. It wasn't entirely the teachers' fault either. Kisuke and Yoruichi had always been a little precious, and many of the games they had played as children ended up helping them later on. After all, Yoruichi had perfected her shunpo technique in their games of tag over the years.

The school environment really wasn't someplace either of them was suited for. It gave them both too much free time on their hands to come up with plans to entertain themselves. And typically, those plans didn't agree with other people. They had probably scarred Byakuya for life that one time. Kisuke shook his head, reminiscing, and Yoruichi caught his eye. She grinned and winked at him. Kisuke wrinkled his nose at the assignment. Yoruichi rolled her eyes behind the teacher's back. The two of them had long ago developed the ability to communicate without words.

It was just as well. He twirled his pen absently. It provided some entertainment in the classes they shared. As the teacher continued to drone on, Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at him. Kisuke tilted his head to the side, considering the idea, and then nodded. They shared a grin across the room (they weren't allowed to sit together anymore). Moments later Yoruichi slipped out the window. Kisuke bit back a smirk; the teachers hadn't learned not to let her sit by the windows yet. His exit wasn't quite as easy, but he still managed to slink out the door. Their classmates didn't comment; they were used to this.

Five minutes later they met on the roof of one of the academy buildings. They looked at one another and laughed. Kisuke sat down on the sun warmed roof, and Yoruichi settled on his lap. She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him, a frown marring her face.

"So, you understand what Tachikawa-sensei was attempting explain about gigai, right, genius boy? Explain it to me. In understandable terms."

Kisuke grinned and kissed her nose. "All right, Yoru-hime."

The academy might have a number of rules both written and unwritten; Kisuke just knew that he and Yoruichi were good at breaking them.


	4. Sweet Misery

**Sweet Misery**

Kisuke knew she had to go. He didn't want her to go, but he knew that she had to. Yoruichi was going where he couldn't follow, and he hated it. Kisuke hated the fact that she was going into danger alone. Oh, the children would be with her, but they really had no idea what they were in for. It wasn't really the same was him going with her. But Yoruichi would be of much more use there than he would be, and Kisuke knew that someone needed to hold down the fort at home was well.

None of that changed the fact that he didn't want her to go. Nothing could change that. He would just have to deal with in the best he could. They had started this nearly a hundred years ago, and now it looked like it was time to finish it. Or at least start to finish it. Kisuke rather doubted that Aizen was going to interference with his plans laying down, but at least they could finally do something about that whole situation.

Yoruichi came up behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I'll be back, you know."

"I know." Yoruichi would do everything in her power to come back, but there were things that she couldn't control. "You'll be careful?"

"Kisuke, have I ever been careful?"

She let go of him in order to turn him around. Yoruichi met his eyes.

"I will come back, Kisuke. Someone has to keep you in line." She kissed his nose. "I'll be back before you know it. Maybe you should think about how to welcome me home."

He pulled her into a tight hug. He couldn't keep her from going, and he wouldn't try, but he wasn't going to be happy until she was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set just before Yoruichi, Ichigo, and company leave for Soul Society. Theme 21: Schism.


	5. Many the Miles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set just before Yoruichi, Ichigo, and company leave for Soul Society. Theme 26: Paranoia.

**Many the Miles**

Yoruichi knew that Kisuke didn't want her to go. She understood why he didn't want her to go, and she knew he would never keep her from going even if he didn't want her to go. None of that changed the fact that she had to go. And none of it would keep Kisuke from fretting while she was gone. He had a mild sense of paranoia about the fact that she might not come back. This was again something Yoruichi could understand. She understood his fears; she shared some of them. They both hated the separation. He was afraid for her. She was afraid for all of them. She was worried too, but she wasn't about to let Kisuke see that.

She sighed. There was really nothing she could do to ease Kisuke's paranoia about losing her in this. She had to go along with the children. Even if they didn't necessarily need her, there were other reasons for her presence. Soul Society was still unaware of the threat within it, and they had to do this even if they didn't want to. The two of them had been involved from the beginning, and now it was time to start striking back at Aizen in a way that he would recognize. And she was the one of the two of them that really could go back.

Yoruichi snuggled next to Kisuke's sleeping form, almost wishing the morning wouldn't come. Yoruichi wasn't entirely sure that she was ready for this. In some ways it was good to be going back. She wanted to get a better idea of how everyone had been doing, and she did miss some of the people she had left behind. On the other hand, she had chosen this life, and she wouldn't go back to stay if she could. And she could very well be walking into her death. They didn't entirely know what Aizen had been up to, and Yoruichi doubted he had just been sitting on his hands. She refused to say goodbye to Kisuke. It seemed too much like tempting fate. She would come back.

Yoruichi sighed again; she wasn't going to be able to get any sleep at this rate. Luckily, she did have something else to distract her. It took a little doing, but she managed to wake Kisuke up.

"Yoruichi?" he murmured sleepily. "What time is it?"

Instead of answering, she kissed him and then proceeded to give them both something to remember while she was gone.


	6. Just the Facts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 5: Impasse.

**Just the Facts**

Yoruichi had made up her mind, and nothing was going to change it. No matter how much Kisuke wanted her to. He was not leaving her behind. Kisuke understood her better than anyone, and she refused to have to live without him. Besides, he was going to need her. Yoruichi wasn't sure he could escape without her.

"It's my choice, Kisuke. My decision."

"You're an idiot!"

"So are you!" Clearly they were at an impasse.

Kisuke tried to stare her down. It wasn't going to work, and he should know that by now. The man should remember that he had never lost a battle of wills with her when it came to the really important things. Finally he sighed and dropped his gaze.

"You really don't have to do this."

"Stop saying that." Yoruichi leaned in and kissed him. "It's not going to change anything."

"I couldn't ask," he quietly admitted.

"You never have to." She slid an arm around his waist, leaning on him just enough to emphasize that she was here with him. "Now, about that plan of yours…"


	7. Oxygen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 12: Aspirate.

**Oxygen**

Kisuke wasn't sure he could breath. There were days when he didn't think he could do this. When he was drowning in the reality of this. He had done what he felt was right, and it had exploded in his face. Of course, he hadn't thought the entire thing through at the time. He had been more focused on saving the Vizards. It wasn't really until he had to start making a new life for himself in the living world that it really hit Kisuke.

Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself. Yoruichi had always been his touchstone, now more than ever. She was one of the few things in all this that was familiar. She touched his hand, and he remembered he wasn't alone. He would manage as long as he had her. She kept him sane and able to function. He knew that he couldn't do this alone. He probably wouldn't have made it this far with out her.

Of course, it wasn't the first time Yoruichi had saved his neck. They had more than a few memories that involved her pulling him back from the brink in the nick of time. Then again, he had done the same for her. But it was a whole new game now. Still, as long as she was here, he knew that he could keep going on. Yoruichi elbowed him to get his attention.

Then she kissed his nose and ruffled his hair, stealing his hat. "Breathe, Kisuke. We'll handle it."

And he knew they would, whatever it turned out to be.


	8. Swing Life Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU. Theme 6: Descent in an Elevator.

**Swing Life Away**

Yoruichi stuck the last photograph in her box and stood up with a sigh, surveying her office for the last time. It didn't much look like her office any more to tell the truth. With all her personal belongings packed up, all that was left was a pretty generic corporate office. It had been her office for more than a few years though, and Yoruichi had lots of good memories that went with this room.

However, none of that mattered at the moment. And it wasn't getting her out of here. Scooping up her box, Yoruichi squared her shoulders and stepped out the door and past the security guard standing there. The man's presence was rather insulting, but Yoruichi ignored him. Kisuke was already waiting in the hallway with his own box. He must have finished with his office as well.

The two of them hadn't exactly been kicked out of Seireitei Inc., but their leaving hadn't exactly been voluntary either. Their resignations had been forced. It had blind sided the two of them, but given that they had just stumbled upon a plot by one of the companies Vice-Presidents, perhaps it wasn't all that surprising. Aizen had out maneuvered them this time, and Kisuke and Yoruichi had been left with no options other than resignation.

Yoruichi met Kisuke's eyes. The two of them might be out, but weren't done by any means. They were leaving, but this wasn't the end. Things here were not over yet. Aizen wasn't done with his plans, and Yoruichi wasn't about to let the man get away with everything he had planned. Kisuke felt the same way. They would simply have to find a different way to fight Aizen. He had made himself some very dangerous enemies.

Without speaking, the two of them stepped into the elevator. The elevator door closed, and Yoruichi shifted her box in order to hit the ground floor button.

"Will you miss it?" Kisuke's voice was soft; he felt like he had gotten her into this situation.

"I'll miss some things and some people." She tilted her head to the side; there was no way she was going to abandon him now. "But I'm still going to leave."

Their lives weren't over just because these specific jobs were over after all. In some ways, this was an opportunity for them both.

Kisuke grinned at her. "One last memory then?"

The doors dinged open on a very involved kiss. Yoruichi and Kisuke broke apart both grinning.

"Time to go."

"Let's get out of here then."

Side by side they walked out the front door together.


	9. Something to Talk About

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 27: Devolution.

**Something to Talk About**

Kisuke was bored. Yoruichi was bored. There was absolutely nothing to do. There were no crises going on. No plots afoot. Nothing. And they had nothing to occupy themselves with either. It was just an ordinary, boring summer day, and they both were extremely bored at this point.

It was a well known fact that Yoruichi and Kisuke combined with boredom was a dangerous thing. Tessai had wisely taken the children elsewhere when he realized that Kisuke and Yoruichi had nothing to entertain them. Ururu and Jinta didn't need to be further traumatized. That minimized the damage somewhat. And they hadn't blown up the shop. Yet. Boredom and Kisuke were a bad combination. Boredom, Kisuke, and Yoruichi was an even worse combination. Soul Society probably was quite a bit calmer with them gone. However, it was not a good situation for the rest of the world. And while the quiet probably wouldn't last (something was sure to come up eventually even if it was just interfering with the love lives of the children), at the moment things were incredibly dull.

This was the situation that Ichigo and company had the misfortune to walk into. They too were rather bored (it was summer vacation after all), but they weren't really looking for trouble. It was more they were looking for a place to just hangout where if their conversations turned to certain matters they wouldn't attract odd looks. The Urahara Shoten seemed as good as place as any as it wasn't any of their homes and people were used to weirdness there.

The group (consisting of Ichigo, Ishida, Chad, Orihime, Rukia, Renji, and Tatsuki) walked in just in time to see Urahara sit bolt upright and announce.

"I have an idea."

Yoruichi considered him with half open eyes. Urahara leaned down and whispered some thing in her ear. Yoruichi rolled her eyes and then started to grin.

It dawned on the teenagers that this might not be a safe place to be right now.

Yoruichi kissed Urahara and climbed to her feet. They were both wearing identical grins.

The group exchanged worried looks, and then the teenagers began carefully backing away. This was definitely not a safe place to be right now. They were out of the shop within seconds.


	10. Then the Morning Comes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 17: Confabulation.

**Then the Morning Comes**

Kisuke's head hurt. That was the first thing he was really aware of. He also was aware that he was laying down on something soft. That was nice. He didn't remember laying down to go to bed though. His head was killing him. What had he done last night? Why couldn't he remember? He frowned a little, not opening his eyes and trying to remember. Last night. What had he done last night?

Shunsui and Jyuushiro had taken him out drinking. He remembered that. They had shown up yesterday afternoon, and one thing had led to another. That still didn't explain how he had gotten here. Kisuke opened his eyes and immediately shut them. That had been a bad idea. Light made things much worse. Not that there was much light in the room, but there was still too much. Shunsui and Jyuushiro were completely evil. That had to be the explanation. He couldn't remember anything after the fifth bar. At least, he thought it was the fifth bar. There had been at least five bars. Maybe more.

A gentle hand stroked his hair.

"Kisuke?" Yoruichi's voice was hardly above a whisper.

It still made the headache worse, but Kisuke opened his eyes anyway. Then the light hit his eyes, and he groaned. At least he knew where he was now. Somehow he had gotten back home even if he couldn't remember just how he had gotten here.

"Can you sit up a little?"

"No," he groaned.

Yoruichi's hand came into his field of vision, holding a glass of water and a pair of aspirin.

"Come on, Kisuke," she coaxed. "It will help."

He managed to sit enough to take the pills, despite the fact that it just made his pounding head worse. He tried to focus on the woman sitting beside him. He bit his lip. Just what had he done last night? He remembered being really drunk. He couldn't have done anything too bad or Yoruichi wouldn't be being so nice to him right now. And there were only so many things that could have gone wrong, right?

Kisuke met Yoruichi's eyes. "What happened last night?"

She smiled at him. "What do you remember?"

"Something pink? And there was something about a purple inflatable donkey?"

She laughed and kissed his forehead. "Well, there probably were a number of pink things. You were with Shunsui after all. Remember what happened the last time you got that drunk?"

Kisuke shrugged. "Not really. It's all kind of hazy."

"It's just as well. Last time you ended up with false memories about Shinji and Hiyori eloping." Yoruichi kissed his nose. "Go back to sleep, Kisuke. With any luck your hangover will be gone when you wake up again."


	11. An Eye for Beauty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 15: Aesthetic.

**An Eye for Beauty**

Kisuke let out a pleased sigh. He was currently taking a break from working on plans for a new invention, but he quite truthfully didn't think he would be going back to those anytime soon. Not when he could indulge in his favorite pastime: Yoruichi watching. Yoruichi had always been fascinating to observe, and she provided a wonderful view. He had any number of memories of her that stemmed from his habit of watching her.

There were times when he really wished he was an artist so he could capture a true image of her. Yoruichi would have made for an incredible artist's muse. Kisuke doubted that he'd ever really be able to express just what he saw in her. She had always been something special. He loved her more than anything really. She had been the only woman for him for as long as he could remember.

Currently, she was sprawled on her side asleep. She had dragged his futon into a large patch of sunlight that was on the floor. The sunlight poured over her like water, highlighting her skin and her hair. Even in her human form Yoruichi was catlike, and in more ways than just one. She loved to nap in the sunshine, and her entire posture was feline. Kisuke thought she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. The sunlight practically made her glow, and she looked completely content.

Yoruichi was absolutely gorgeous. No one missed that fact. Yoruichi was lovely, but she was also dangerous, and that had always been part of her beauty to Kisuke. She was like a sword made by a master smith: useful and deadly but also a masterpiece of artwork.

The woman in question sighed and stretched, rolling over on to her stomach. Her eyes opened just enough to peer at him and he smiled sleepily at him. "What are you thinking, Kisuke?"

He leaned in to steal a kiss. "Just admiring the view, Yoru-hime."


	12. Waking Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 30: Realization.

**Waking Up**

Kisuke blinked as his mind processed the piece of information that Yoruichi had just given him. He thought he might be in shock. He hadn't expected that at all. Yoruichi had been acting rather odd lately, but this was an explanation that hadn't occurred to him at all.

He was going to be a father. They were going to be parents. In about seven months. Kisuke blinked again. He was going to be a parent, a father. This was going to take some getting used to.

Kisuke would admit to being mildly terrified by the prospect of being a father. He honestly wasn't perhaps the most responsible of people, and even though he had been a mentor and a guardian, he'd never actually been someone's father before. He didn't know if he'd do a good job. But to have a child, one that was his and Yoruichi's, there was something special and magical about that idea. Kisuke was both terrified and elated. He, Kisuke Urahara, was going to be a father.

It would mean changes for sure. The Urahara Shoten wasn't exactly set up for a young child's presence. They would need to set up a nursery, and there were all sorts of things they would need for a baby like diapers, bottles, and a cradle of some sort. Kisuke would also need to make sure there was no way the baby could get into his lab or work room. He could just imagine the trouble a child of his and Yoruichi's could get into. They were going to have a child together. Yoruichi was pregnant with their child. Kisuke felt a little faint.

Yoruichi looked like she wanted some sort of response from him, and Kisuke blinked again, feeling the need to confirm that he had heard her correctly. His memory wasn't usually faulty, but for this he needed to be sure.

"Really? Pregnant?"

She nodded. "Yes, Kisuke."

He caught her up in a tight hug, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I love you."


	13. Pain and Suffering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 8 : Embryology.

**Pain and Suffering**

This was not at all comfortable. She hadn't thought it would hurt this much. Oh, Yoruichi had known that labor was painful, but knowing something and experiencing something were two very different things. This was much worse than the false labor pains that she had been having all week. Yoruichi had been woken from a sound sleep by these pains, and it had taken longer than she appreciated to wake Kisuke and for them to get to the Kurosaki Clinic.

Speaking of Kisuke, Yoruichi squeezed the hand of his that she was holding a little tighter. Her fingernails dug into his hand. Kisuke winced. Yoruichi ignored that. She doubted that it was anything compared to what she was currently feeling. Yoruichi was definitely never having a child again. And she was also considering killing Kisuke as soon as she finished giving birth. The damn man had gotten her pregnant after all.

She wasn't even supposed to be in labor right now. It was a week before her due date, and Yoruichi had been told by countless people that first babies tended to be late. Clearly, someone had forgotten to tell the baby this as well. And when were those drugs going to kick in? Isshin had agreed to give her something for the pain, but it didn't seem to be working yet. Another contraction hit her, and Yoruichi decided she was definitely going to kill Kisuke. There was absolutely no reason for going through this. As soon as she finished giving birth, she was going to kill him.

The man might know about embryology and the other scientific aspects of reproduction, but he clearly didn't know anything about what it was actually like or he wouldn't have gotten her pregnant in the first place.

"All right, Yoruichi. We're almost done. On the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can." Isshin's voice was far too calm and cheerful for this situation; she might have to kill him too.

When the next contraction hit, Yoruichi gritted her teeth and pushed. Isshin kept a commentary that Yoruichi ignored for the most part, but she was storing this whole experience in her memory in order to fuel her homicidal rage later on. And then finally it was over. Isshin smiled at her.

"Congratulations, you two. You have a healthy baby girl."

Moments later he placed the baby, wrapped in a green blanket, in her arms. Yoruichi looked down at her daughter to find the baby looking back at her. She had a head of dark hair and pale green eyes, and her skin was a few shades lighter than Yoruichi's own.

"She's perfect," Kisuke's tone was reverent.

Yoruichi glanced up at her partner and grinned at the look on his face. Kisuke was already wrapped around his daughter's little finger. Yoruichi glanced back down at the baby in her arms and kissed the girl's forehead. She really was perfect. Maybe she wouldn't kill Kisuke after all.


	14. Meaning Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 9: Nihilism.

**Meaning Enough**

The sound of crying woke Kisuke, and he quietly slipped out of bed, hoping to get to the baby before she woke Yoruichi. Kisuke tried to take care of the late night awakenings when he could. Yoruichi made a soft noise.

"Go back to sleep. I'll get her."

The room they had turned into a nursery was just across the hallway from their bedroom. Kisuke quietly slipped across the hall and into the little nursery. His daughter blinked up at him and wrinkled her nose. Koneko had pale green eyes, dark hair, and wouldn't go back to sleep. She was something of a night owl, and it was always a challenge to get her back to sleep. He carefully lifted her out of the crib and cradled her against his chest. Kisuke hummed softly to her as he began to pace the floor. Movement was typically a good way to get Koneko back to sleep again.

He had done and seen much in his life, and Kisuke honestly hadn't really thought that fatherhood would change him much. He had been wrong about that. Nothing he had ever invented or discovered filled him with the wonder that his daughter did. The infant in his arms gave the world whole new meaning, and while Kisuke had never been a nihilist, there had been times when he wondered if there was anything meaning to the world. Not anymore though. His daughter had given him that. The world had meaning enough for him as long as she was in it.

Koneko, cuddled up against his chest, let out a soft sigh and shut her eyes. Within minutes she was asleep again. Once Kisuke was sure she wasn't going to wake up again, he kissed her forehead and set her back in the crib. Koneko shifted slightly, but she didn't wake. Kisuke just took there a moment, watching her and engraving the moment in his memory. Then he decided to seek his own bed and Yoruichi's arms. He needed to sleep too after all.


	15. Heart of the Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 1: Chess.

**Heart of the Home**

It was one of those snowy days that made a man glad of a warm fire and good company. Of course, Kisuke was a guest this afternoon rather than the host, but that didn't really matter. He and Yoruichi had made a visit to the Seireitei and had brought Koneko along with them. Now the three of them were warm and cozy in the living quarters of the Eighth Division's captain.

Kisuke could still remember when the idea of Shunsui as a happily married man was completely foreign. However, Nanao Ise had changed that, and their son was about the same age as Koneko. The two toddlers seemed content to play with one another at least. Shunsui and Kisuke were deeply involved in a chess game while Tatsuyoshi and Koneko were happily engaged by Yoruichi and a ball. Nanao was curled up at Shunsui's side reading a book.

All in all it was a perfectly peaceful winter afternoon, and Kisuke was enjoying himself. It had definitely been worth all their struggles in order to secure this future for themselves.

"Your move," Shunsui spoke.

Kisuke frowned at the chessboard. Koneko toddled over to the chessboard and reached out to grasp a piece from the board, namely Kisuke's king.

"Dada!" Koneko wrinkled her nose at him and then stuck the king in her mouth.

It took a few moments for Kisuke to reclaim the chess piece and clean the drool off it. He put it back in place and absent mindedly made his own move. Nanao held out her arms, and Koneko toddled towards her. Nanao scooped the girl up into her lap, making her laugh, and then dropped a kiss on top of Koneko's head. Kisuke grinned at the sight. It was a better future than he could have hoped for.

"Check."

Kisuke blinked, looking back at the board. Shunsui laughed at him. Kisuke smiled. Life was good.


	16. Mysteries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 22: Alchemy.

**Mysteries**

Koneko peered into her parent's bedroom, biting her lower lip. She wasn't supposed to disturb them once the lights were out, but she had a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep now. Still, she wasn't sure if she wanted to wake her parents. At almost five, she was almost a big girl. There was movement somewhere in the room, and moments later, her father appeared in the doorway.

Koneko looked up at him. "Nightmare, Daddy."

He scooped her up in his arms, holding her against his chest. "It's all right, sweetheart."

She buried her head against his shoulder. Her father began to rock her gently. "Let's not wake your mommy, okay? Do you remember what the nightmare was about?"

She shook her head. "Monster."

"Well, let's go make sure that there aren't any monsters in your bedroom."

Her daddy always knew how to get rid of monsters. Koneko didn't know if it was magic or alchemy or what, but for as long as she could remember, Daddy had always been able to banish any monsters lurking in her bedroom. Shifting her so she was perched on his hip, her father opened her bedroom door. Pale moonlight illuminated the room, but her father flipped on small lamp and set Koneko down on her futon.

"Now, let's see." He peered into her closet. "Ah, here's the problem."

For several moments there were noises coming out of the closet. Then her father pulled the closet door all the way open, so Koneko could see inside.

"There we go. I don't think he'll be back any time soon."

He shut the closet door and then tucked the girl back into bed.

"Sweet dreams, Koneko." He kissed her forehead and turned off the lamp.

Koneko closed her eyes and settled back into a peaceful sleep. Her daddy always knew how to get rid of the monsters, even if Koneko didn't know how he did it.


	17. A Future Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set about thirteen years after the Winter War. Theme 18: Era.

**A Future Present**

Kisuke had always had ideas about the future, but he had to admit that he hadn't exactly expected it to look like this. Not that he was complaining about it. Far from it. The future had turned out better than he had ever imagined. Or at least that was Kisuke's opinion of the scene before him.

The gathering at his shop was a reunion of sorts, but mostly it was an excuse for everyone to get together and have some fun. And it was a chance for the children to all get together. There had been something of a population boom since the end of the Winter War. Rangiku had been the first one to have children, but she hadn't been the last. There were currently nine children around the shop.

The oldest four (Rangiku's twins, his daughter, and Shunsui's son) were immersed in some sort of game to the exclusion of everything else around them. Inari and Seiko Ichimaru are a year older than Koneko and Tatsuyoshi, but the four of them have become fast friends anyway. At eleven and twelve, the four not only had their own distinctive personalities but also were showing affinities for certain talents as well like the fact that Koneko shared her mother's shape shifting ability. All four had the ability to become shinigami and mostly would follow that path.

The other children were too young to tell at this point. Miyako Kyoraku was the oldest of the younger children at four, and she was a charming little girl. She had also stolen his hat, and Kisuke hadn't been able to pry it away from her since. Kiyoshi Ukitake was two, and despite this seemed to have formed a firm friendship with Miya. The two girls were shaping up to be a duo comparable to their fathers. They were watching wide eyed as Shinji told them a story about their fathers.

Three infants dozed in various people's arms. Orihime held her six month old son as she chatted with Momo and Tatsuki. Kazuya was the oldest in his generation, though only by two month. Ishida and Orihime's announcement that they were expecting had been quickly followed by a similar announcement from Rukia and Ichigo. The twins, Hisana and Masaki, were currently being held by Yuzu and Byakuya. The younger set of Kurosaki twins had Byakuya wrapped around their little fingers, and Kisuke had no doubt that the man would end up both spoiling the girl and being even more overprotective of them than he had been of Rukia.

Those children were the future, and Kisuke had no doubt that they were going to drive everyone crazy in the process of getting there. Not that he minded. Yoruichi draped herself across his lap, jolting him out of his train of thought.

"If you're thinking about having another one, forget it." His wife kissed his cheek. "I am not going through labor again."

Kisuke just laughed. Yoruichi's opinion on that point was etched into his memory forever.

"I was just thinking about my expectations of the future. I wasn't planning on any of this, but I don't think I'm going to complain."


	18. Surfacing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 28: Phantasmagoria.

**Surfacing**

Yoruichi wasn't sure what was going on. She just knew that she was very hot and very tired. She was just so hot. Was she in a desert? She remembered laying down on Kisuke's futon awhile ago to get some rest. She hadn't been feeling well for the past few days and had hoped that a nap would help her feel better. It didn't seem to have worked, and Yoruichi quite honestly wasn't sure if she was still at the Urahara Shoten. The purple clouds tipped her off to something not being quite right. Maybe she was dreaming. That would explain a lot.

She could hear a voice though. Someone was speaking to her. She knew that voice, but she just couldn't remember who it belonged to. Yoruichi closed her eyes in order to remember just who that voice belonged to, and the next thing she was aware of she was surrounded by ice. And fish. Fish with bright green wings that were flying. Weren't fish supposed to be in water? She woke, gasping. A cool hand touched her forehead, and her eyes fell shut.

And she was hot again. Hot, stuffy, and there was something heavy on top of her, making it hard to breathe. Yoruichi knew that she was missing something here. She had to remember. It was important. But whatever was on top of her was too heavy. She couldn't escape. She was trapped. And then as she started to panic, her eyes snapped open.

Yoruichi woke on a futon, the blankets kicked to the side. The room was dark, but she could make out a familiar form sitting next to her. She was really awake now. There was a cool cloth on her forehead, and Kisuke was gently running his fingers through her hair.

"Kisuke?" Her voice sounded hoarse and croaky.

"How are you feeling, Yoru-hime?"

"Tired and confused."

Kisuke smiled down at her. "Your fever just broke last night. You've been pretty restless the entire time. I think you'll have an easier time of sleeping down. Here."

He helped her sit up and held a cup of water to her lips. She gulped the cool water thankfully. It did help her throat at least.

Kisuke brushed a kiss across her forehead. "Go back to sleep, Yoru-hime.


	19. The Right String

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 2: Marionette.

**The Right String**

The thing about the pair of them was that by this time they knew exactly how to pull each other's strings and push each other's buttons. Yoruichi would admit they were a perfect match for one another. She knew how to get exactly what she wanted from him, but then he knew how to do the same to her. They knew each other's weaknesses as well as strengths, and they knew just how far to push one another. It was an old game for them.

They would tease and taunt one another until one of them came out on top. Though as often as not, they both really won in the end. They were pretty equally matched in a contest of wills, and they knew each other inside out. Neither of them had complete control in the relationship. That was the way they liked it. As much as they pulled on one another's puppet strings, it tended to be in good fun. She never had to worry about being manipulated into a bad situation on purpose, and Kisuke had the same confidence in her.

She sauntered into his lab, still in her feline form. Jumping up onto a table, Yoruichi sat down right on top of the papers Kisuke was reading.

"Yoru-chan," his tone was scolding

She wrinkled her nose at him and flicked her tail, so it tickled his nose.

"I really am busy at the moment."

"Nya-ow." She swatted at his nose.

Kisuke sighed and pushed back from the table. Yoruichi leapt into his lap and seconds later had reverted back to her human form. She leaned in to kiss him. They looked at one another and suddenly both of them were laughing.

"I'll remember this next time you're busy with something, Princess."

Yoruichi just smirked back at him and stole another kiss. "You do that."

No matter who pulled the strings, they both won.


	20. Getting Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 7: Nazca.

**Getting Away**

"Gods above I'm so exhausted." Yoruichi sprawled across the floor, her head resting on his knee. "We need a vacation."

Kisuke glanced over at her. "Have we ever taken a vacation?"

"No. And that's why we should go on vacation, just the two of us. No friends, children, or other distractions."

He turned his attention back to the new gigai design he was working on. "Well, where would we go?"

"Any place without people we know."

Kisuke just rolled his eyes. "Did you have someplace specific in mind?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "Not off the top of my head."

"Siberia," he suggested; there weren't a lot of people there, and no one that they would know.

"Too cold."

"The Sahara."

"Too hot."

"The Amazon."

"Too many bugs."

Kisuke ran his fingers through her hair. "What about Nazca?"

"Didn't they film part of an Indiana Jones movie there?" Yoruichi made a face before adding, "No bugs, rainstorms, or war zones."

"There's always Paris," he offered. "The problem with most places, Princess, is someone is going to be able to find us. Remember the time we went to Darwin, and Shunsui and Jyuu showed up twenty minutes after we got there?"

She sighed then pouted. "You're right."

Kisuke kissed her forehead. "We could try telling everyone one we've gone on vacation and just stay home and pretend we're not here. It's not quite a vacation, but we might get some rest for a change."


	21. On the Streets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 16: Anthropocentrism.

**On the Streets**

They did it several times a week, whenever they could manage it. They even had a designated spot. Their favorite bench was ideally located. It was across the street from a train station, and there was a park just kitty corner from it as well. This provided them with plenty of opportunities for people watching. You could learn a lot about people by watching them on a regular basis or even just watching them once. And it made for a great pastime when you had lots of free time on your hands.

Sunny afternoons found the two of them seated on their bench watching people pass by. Yoruichi was aware that they tended to look like just another happy couple out enjoying the day. She rest her head on his shoulder, and Kisuke shifted slightly, his arm coming up around her shoulders.

"So what have we got today?"

Kisuke grinned at her. "Well, our middle school trio of doom hasn't showed up yet, but Latte Lady has a date today. Oh, and I spotted a street preacher earlier. He might swing back this way if we're lucky."

She grinned. "Fun."

The hard part of people watching was keeping from laughing at times. Both she and Kisuke had the tendency to make sarcastic comments, especially when they found someone's actions ridiculous. Yoruichi knew that more than once the two of them had received odd looks due to their fits of hysterical laughter.

"What do you think about the guy with the orange beanie?" Kisuke's voice interrupted her thoughts.

She studied the long haired young man. He seemed to be heading for the street preacher who had reappeared and was setting up shop in front of the train station. Given his signs, he appeared to be one of those conservative types that believed humans were superior to everything else. Yoruichi took in the man with orange beanie's slightly grungy look and a recycle t-shirt.

"Environmentalist. And I think we're going to get a confrontation here."

"Mm. I agree."

"Do you think they ever try to figure us out?" she asked him.

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "They might try, but they wouldn't succeed. Besides, we have far more experience at it."

Moments later Orange Beanie Guy and Street Preaching were going at it hammer and tongs. The two of them traded smiles and settled back to watch the show. People watching really could be a great deal of fun.


	22. A Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 25: Androgynous. This is set while Yoruichi is captain of the second, and Kisuke is her lieutenant.

**A Mistake**

It was probably the worst mistake a man could make. It didn't matter that the two of them were undercover. Kisuke just knew that this was going to end badly. He couldn't imagine what the idiot was thinking. Yes, his captain was slender and youthful looking, and her outfit today did make her look rather androgynous. However, mistaking her for a boy was both the height of stupidity and rather dangerous. Kisuke didn't think she looked male in that outfit. Charmingly boyish, perhaps, but not male.

The idiot had made that mistake, and his captain looked ready to kill the man. However, they were undercover in the real world on a mission and killing civilians (even stupid ones) was frowned upon. So Kisuke had the lovely job of making sure that everyone walked away from this. He wasn't sure that he could pull it off.

He wrapped his arms around Yoruichi's waist, in part to comfort her and in part to keep her from doing something that he would regret. She looked ready to kill things, and her eyes were flashing with anger. He tried to come up with something to say that could diffuse the situation. If only he had a way of distracting Yoruichi long enough to let the guy get away. Given the look currently on the man's face, he finally seemed to have realized just how big a mistake that he'd made.

Unable to come up with anything else to distract his friend and captain, Kisuke closed his eyes, and hoped for the best. Then he spun Yoruichi around and kissed her quickly. For moment everything was fine, better than fine actually. And then Yoruichi bristled and shoved him away. Looking into her eyes, Kisuke considered that maybe he should have just let her kill the guy. That could have been safer.


	23. Mind Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 19: Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal".

**Mind Games**

The thing about Ichigo was he was just so much fun to tease. He had the tendency to take things far too seriously, and he knew so little about how the shinigami in the Seireitei worked. It almost made things too easy. Yoruichi hadn't even meant to start up mind games with him day. She had been teasing him, but he'd taken her seriously, and she couldn't help herself. It was remarkably easy to convince Ichigo of what she said, and before she knew it, Yoruichi was expanding and embellishing her tale.

And Ichigo kept lapping it up. The boy needed to cultivate a healthy sense of doubt if he was going to survive in this world. It probably didn't help that he was rather overwhelmed by this whole world he had been dropped into, but really, his own experiences with the Seireitei should have taught him to question things. Besides, it was something of an art to construct these tales. Like Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal", the story had to be outrageous, and yet at the same time, it also had to have some element of truth in it to work.

In some ways it was almost a game between herself and Kisuke to see who could get Ichigo to believe the most ridiculous story. It was probably mean and unethical of the two of them, but it really was too much fun for them to stop at this point. Kisuke wandered out onto the porch and paused to listen to her for a moment. Their eyes met, and he grinned at her. This was just too good. Five minutes later he was choking back laughter as she continued to reel the boy farther and farther in.

Once it got to the point where Ichigo looked ready to explode, Yoruichi broke into hysterical laughter. She couldn't help it. He looked ready to panic, and it really did look adorable on him. Realization dawned on Ichigo's face. Not quite as good as the time when Rukia had kissed him and then walked off, but still, incredibly fun to watch. He sputtered and stormed off while Kisuke and Yoruichi broke down laughing even hard. They really shouldn't do it Ichigo, but it was just so much fun.


	24. The Cat Came Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 24: Sentience.

**The Cat Came Back**

Kisuke had noticed that there were some serious drawbacks to Yoruichi's cat form now that they lived in the human world. Especially since she liked to wander. For one thing, little old ladies seemed to want to take her home. And since she refused to wear a collar, Kisuke really had no way claim ownership of her. Not that he would really attempt to, but it might make things easier.

There were also those idiots who claimed that they weren't cat people. They also often claimed that cats were dumb animals. Even an ordinary cat would have taken offense at that. Kisuke was well aware that ordinary cats were far more sentient than most humans realized, and Yoruichi was no ordinary cat. So he was not at all surprised when one of the idiots (who often frequented the shop) started raving about being stalked by a black cat.

His lady had a healthy sense of revenge, and Kisuke was familiar with this strategy. Of course, they didn't typically use it to torture fools, but he wasn't about to get in the middle of this. He wasn't about to stop this. He wasn't really sure that he could. Kisuke was wise enough not to interfere with Yoruichi's revenge. He wasn't about to do anything that would turn her on him. Besides, her revenge often had entertainment value. Well, for him at least.

Because the insane, rantings of a man stalked by a cat could truly be amusing.

"…and it's everywhere. Everywhere. I can go anywhere without seeing it. It follows me to work. Once it even got inside my office. It follows me home. It perches outside my bedroom window. And I live on the ninth floor. I've even seen it on the train. No matter where I go, the cat is there. It had to be an omen of some sort. It just keeps coming back. No matter what I do. Do you think I'm doomed? Oh god, it's here."

The man scrambled for the exit. Kisuke bit his lip to keep from laughing. Once the man was out of the shop, he let loose his laughter and scanned the room for his lady. Yoruichi was perched on one of the shelves with a very smug look on her face. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her pink little nose.

"Well, Princess, are you satisfied?"

She purred in his arms. "Ask me tomorrow. I'm not quite done with him yet."

He just laughed. As long as she came back to him, Kisuke would be fine.


	25. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 20: Id.

**Curiosity Killed the Cat**

One of these days her curiosity coupled with bored was probably going to get her in serious trouble. But not today. Today, Yoruichi knew exactly what she was going. Kisuke had been holed up in his lab for the past eight days, and Yoruichi was sick of waiting for him to finish with whatever he was working on. The trick would be to get Kisuke more interested in her than whatever he was working on. But then, she knew all the right buttons to push to accomplish that.

Yoruichi snuck into his lab, coming up behind Kisuke soundlessly. Kisuke was engrossed in whatever plans he was looking at. She peered over his shoulder and blinked. Between the chicken scratch he called handwriting and the amount that was crossed out, she couldn't make heads or tails of it. So instead, Yoruichi pressed a kiss to his throat. Kisuke jumped a little.

"Princess, that's rather distracting."

She chuckled in his ear. "That's the idea."

She ran her hands over his arms, her fingertips just barely skimmed across his skin. She nuzzled his ear and purred at the back of her throat. He bit back a moan. They were little things, but she knew they drove him crazy. Yoruichi had long ago made it a habit to remember every little thing she could about what made Kisuke tick. Then again, he knew all those things about her to.

Well aware that she was goading him, Yoruichi kept up her teasing. She wanted him to the point where it was his id in control his actions. Finally, after a nibble at his pulse, Kisuke spun around, pinned her to the wall, and kissed her breathless. There was the reaction she wanted.

She smirked at him. "Have I got your attention?"

"No more, Yoruichi."

She purred against him. "How are you going to stop me?"

He kissed her aggressively, keeping her pinned to the wall. Yoruichi laughed and kissed him back. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but satisfaction most definitely brought her back.


	26. Touchstones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is set after the chapter Swing Life Away. Theme 10: Artifact.

**Touchstones**

The bells on the door jingled as the last customer left the store. Yoruichi stretched and let out a sigh. It was time to close up for the night. She set about putting things in order. That was how she stumbled upon it among the receipts. It was a relic from their lives at Shinigami Inc. She hadn't seen the object in ages. It was one of Kisuke's earliest inventions. Speaking of her partner, he should be appearing any moment now. The two of them almost always closed up the shop together. It was one of Yoruichi's favorite daily rituals.

Kisuke appeared moments later from the storeroom. Yoruichi held out the artifact to him.

"Do you remember this?"

He laughed. "We still have that old thing? It must have been in the box from earlier. That had a bunch of our old stuff in it."

She set it down before crossing the room to flip their sign to say 'Closed'. Turning back to face Kisuke, she looked around the shop. It really wasn't comparable to Shinigami Inc., but it was theirs. It was small, but it was theirs, and it was a success. That was what was really important to the two of them. And small as it as, it was a success. They had done well for themselves, despite the fact that they had gotten kicked out of Shinigami Inc.

Kisuke laughed and reached for the object on the counter. "It does bring back memories though. Do you want to count the till or should I?"

"You do it. You actually like numbers," Yoruichi replied as she made her way back to the counter.

This might not be exactly what they had dreamed of when they were younger, but the two of them were pretty happy with their lives at this point. Yoruichi kissed his nose and plucked it from his fingers. The pair grinned at one another, and soon the shop was full of laughter.


	27. A Clue to Follow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is AU and is set after the chapters Swing Life Away and Touchstones. Theme 14: "Deeper...Go Deeper.

**A Clue to Follow**

Yoruichi wasn't exactly having the best of days. So she wasn't exactly pleased to find that Kisuke was not in the shop when she got there. Ururu was manning the counter, but there was no sign of Yoruichi's partner anywhere. She had been expecting to find Kisuke when she walked into the shop. She was put out when Ururu just produced an envelope for her. Yoruichi shredded the envelope and pulled out a photograph of the two of them when they were younger. There was a note scribbled on the back.

She frowned at the note. It was a puzzle. Her partner was clearly up to something. Still, the puzzle was easy enough to figure out and the answer was the bench where they often ate lunch. With a sigh, Yoruichi headed back outside. It only took her about five minutes to reach the bench. She found a balloon tied to the bench along with another envelope attached to the string.

This one was just a not, but it was written in some sort of code. Yoruichi sat down in order to puzzle it out. Just what was Kisuke up to? The notes had to be from him. They fit his personality, and so far, most of the clues had been things relating to their relationship. Kisuke was most certainly up to something. She just didn't know what. When she broke the code (it really wasn't too hard), it turned out to be another clue. Her curiosity was sparked.

Following the clue, Yoruichi headed down town to where the Shinigami Inc. building was. She scanned the area for the next clue. The red ball of yarn perched in the landscaping was probably it. It was a small ball of yarn, and not a practical size for any sort of project. Yoruichi hefted the ball of yarn. It was rather heave for its size though. With a sigh, she began unraveling the ball. At the very end of the yarn there was an odd little object that looked rather like a Christmas ornament. With a little prodding, Yoruichi was able to twist the thing apart. Inside was a note. She sighed again. This was very like Kisuke.

Yoruichi dumped the yarn in her purse. Unfolding the note, she scanned it for the next clue. This one led back towards their shop. Okay, so what did this all mean? The clues were leading up to something. Kisuke was leading her on a wild goose chase and keeping her away from the shop until now for some reason. At least, she hoped so. If he was making go through this for no reason, Yoruichi was going to kill him.

She couldn't think of any reason for all of this. Today wasn't any special day. Not a birthday or an anniversary or even a holiday. She couldn't see any reason for this sort of thing. It might be that she wasn't looking deep enough, but Yoruichi was still baffled. But she made her way back to the shop, ready to take it out of Kisuke's hide if this was just a prank. Their shop was dark and empty when she arrived.

Unlocking the front door with her key, Yoruichi warily peered inside. Kisuke was waiting for her, leaning up against the counter. He grinned at her.

"You made it."

"I made it for what exactly?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

Kisuke shrugged. "Come here, and I'll show you."

Yoruichi made her way over to him, and Kisuke took on of her hands in his own before holding out the other to her. In it was a golden band with a single sunstone gem. Sunstones had always been Yoruichi's favorite.

"Marry me, Princess?

She stole his hat and kissed him. "What do you think?"

Yoruichi let him slip the ring on her finger and kiss her. It hadn't really been a wild goose chase after all.


	28. Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 13: Reabsorption.

**Distractions**

It wasn't a terribly important experiement that Kisuke was conducting, but it was an interesting one. Besides, it wasn't often anymore that he had a chance to just play around with his science. Kisuke liked being the captain of the Twelfth Division, but it didn't really give him the time to play in the lab that he wanted. However, he had the next few hours free of any duties, and Kisuke was planning on enjoying himself.

He had just started charting the reabsorption rate of the chemicals when Yoruichi purred into his ear and rest her chin on his shoulder. She peered over his shoulder the experiement. "What are you working on?"

Kisuke bit back a sigh. Most of the time he didn't mind her company, but she had a knack for knowing when he was in the middle of something and interrupting. It would be usless to try and get rid of her though.

"It's just an experiment. Nothing of importance really."

"So you won't mind if I watch? It's not likely to blow up and kill us all?" She pressed a kiss to the back of his neck.

"You can watch."

And hopefully she would get bored before too long and go bother someone else. He might love the woman, but he could admit that there were times when he found her a little annoying. And he found it was highly distracting to have her pressed up against his back like she currently was. So he continued on with the experiement.

Her teeth grazed his ear, and Kisuke jumped. Yoruichi giggled at his reaction. Kisuke frowned. Then he jumped again when she nibbled on his ear. She was doing it on purpose. He should have known that she would remember it drove him a little crazy. He tried to ignored it for now.

Yoruichi pressed closer to him. Kisuke bit his lip and tried to concentrate on the readings from his intrusments. Yoruichi pressed a kiss to his pulse. He didn't know if he should complain or just turn around and kiss her. What the hell? Kisuke spun araound, pinning her against the wall. His mouth hovered over hers. "Stop teasing, Yoru-hime."

"And what to I get if I do."

In response, he kissed her. The experiment could wait.


	29. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This set at the end of the Soul Society arc. Theme 23: The Sacred Feminine.

**Homecoming**

It didn't take that long to take all the children home, but it seemed like forever until it was just the two of them. With the children delivered home, they could finally head home themselves. Kisuke plans for tonight's homecoming. Yoruichi was home, and she was safe. That was all that mattered to him. That was also reason enough celebrate for Kisuke, and he planned on giving her a proper homecoming.

The shop was dark when they arrived. That didn't surprise Kisuke. Tessai had taken the kids to the beach earlier this week, and they still weren't back yet. Once they had slipped inside, Yoruichi shifted back to her human form. Kisuke took the opportunity to enfold her in his arms, holding her close. He had been scared and worried the entire time she was gone. He knew intellectually of course that she could take care of herself, but that didn't stop him from worrying or wishing he had been able to go with her and the others.

Kisuke pressed a kiss to the back of her neck before he pulled out her hair tie, running his fingers through the dark strands. "Welcome home, Yoru-hime."

She let out a soft purring sound. "I told you I would come back."

He nuzzled her neck. "I know. I still missed you."

She turned around in his arms to kiss him properly. Kisuke kissed her back. He loved his beautiful goddess of the flash. She was home and in his arms. It was the moments like these where the world was just the two of them together that he loved to remember the most.

"Yoru-hime," his whisper was reverent.

"Kisuke," she smiled, "come to bed."


	30. Scientific Method

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme 11: Pleasure Principal.

**Scientific Method**

There were some things Yoruichi really liked about science to tell the truth. Curled up next to a sleeping Kisuke, she let a smug grin spread across her face. She was a little sleepy, yes, but she was also completely satisfied. For now at least. It had been completely worth coming in to bug Kisuke while he was working on his latest project.

* * *

"Kisuke," Yoruichi pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "If I wanted to test out an idea, it would require an experiment, wouldn't it?"

"At least one. Probably more than one. You'd have to confirm your results." He absently responded, not really paying attention.

"Ah."

And then she had tugged him around to face her and kissed him. It was clear that Kisuke was startled at first, but it didn't take him long to kiss her back. His fingers slid into her short hair, and Yoruichi pressed herself closer to him. Hooking her fingers in his Captain's haori, Yoruichi began to tug it down his arms. Kisuke nibbled across her collar bones, prompting soft noises to spill from her throat.

He smirked at her. "I'm not sure what you're trying to find out, Princess, but I'm curious what happens if I do this?"

Then he kissed her, pinning her to a wall. She purred under his hands, arching into his touch. Kisuke chuckled and lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He walked them towards the futon that he kept in the lab for late nights spent on experiments. As he tumbled them onto the futon, Yoruichi rolled so they ended up with her on top. With a smirk, she got busy conduction her experiment.

* * *

"So, was it a successful experiment?" Kisuke asked as Yoruichi nuzzled his neck.

"Yes, but," she answered turning to kiss his nose, "I'll need to repeat it to verify my results."

"I'd be happy help with any further experiments.'

"Good. We should get started now then." She kissed him, rolling on top of his body.

She definitely liked some aspects of science.


End file.
